"You cannot use someone else's fire; you can only use your own. And in order to do that, you must first be willing to believe you have it."

- Audre Lorde

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Lengthy post warning!!!! Grab a snack! :)

Estée Lauder.... What comes to mind when you hear those words? I think..... Elegance. This is a company that has stood the test of time and has stayed true to their "look". From product to packaging, Estée is simply beautiful and elegant.

Double Wear has been one of my favorite foundations for many years. I also love quite a bit of their skincare but when it comes to their other makeup products, I haven't tried much; mainly because Estée is more high end and it has always been a huge splurge item for me.

When I received an email from the company asking to send me their new Pure Color Love lipstick collection, I screamed.... Literally, out loud, screamed!... I must have stared at that email, reading it over and over again for a good 5 minutes. Total shock!! I immediately told my mom and before I could even finish the sentence, I burst into tears.

I've been blessed to be contacted by a lot of companies, but this was by far the biggest. Not only because it is a behemoth brand but because I've loved and treasured their products for so many years. I've saved for months just to be able to afford one foundation.... And they want to send me an entire lipstick collection? It's an honor.

Before I begin, I will say that although these were sent to me, I am not being paid for this post - it is in no way sponsored. I will be 100% honest and let you know the pros and cons of these lipsticks.

There are 30 shades in the Pure Color Love line and they are $22 each. They come in a wide varity of shades and finishes; mattes, shimmers, chromes and cremes. The chromes are meant to be toppers and I will mention which they are as we go along with the shades.

But first.... Packaging!

Okay yeah, this is only the PR packaging but.... WOW. I had to include it in this post. I opened this, sat on my floor and CRIED. haha

The packaging is a gorgeous mirrored gold. Estée Lauder is etched into one side and each lipstick color is labeled nicely on the bottom with the color so it's easy to see which is which.

The lipsticks itself have a very unique shape.... Not my favorite. The hard edge makes it very difficult to get a clean application and I've been grabbing for lip brushes to apply rather than applying straight from the tubes, especially with the more dramatic/bright shades. I wish it was just a regular lipstick shape!

Here are the swatches - the left is with one swipe and the right is built up for full pigmentation.

Blasé Buff (100) is a peachy pink nude. It's not as orangey in person as it looks in this photo. As you can see, it's quite pigmented with just one swipe. It's matte but not drying at all!

Raw Sugar (110) is a matte brown-toned nude. I grab for this a lot on days when I need a more neutral nude lipstick. It's a perfect shade to keep in your purse!

Rose Xcess (130) is a stunning matte berry shade. I'd recommend pairing this with a lip liner in a similar shade because it is slightly patchy on the lips.

Strapless (130) is a pretty mauve with a lot of shine. This is one of the creme formulas; they are a little bit more on the sheer side and feel extremely comfortable on the lips.

Naked City (140) is a creamy peach shade.

Proven Innocent (200) is a pretty pale matte pink.

Naughty-Nice (210) is another matte pink, it's brighter than it looks in the tube but it's still very wearable.

Shock & Awe (220) is a bright fuchsia pink. It's gorgeous!!!

Juiced Up (230) is a stunning matte berry/wine shade.

Pret-A-Party (240) is a barbie pink.

Radical Chic (250) is a pinky coral. I don't wear pinks very often but this shade, I love!

Sky High (260) is a bright pink. It takes a little bit of building up and it's slightly streaky unless you wear a lip liner underneath.

Haute & Cold (270) is another bright pink that I was surprised by! It's quite bright but I think it would look amazing on just about anyone!

Hot Streak (300)... Oh, I LOVE this shade!!! It's a bright blood-orange. It is matte, crazy pigmented. This is one of those shades that you'd wear with just brows and lashes. It steals the show, without a doubt.

Crazy Beautiful (430) is a "my lips but better" shade. Another one to keep in your purse!

Hi-Voltage (440) is a toned down, "wearable" purple. If you've been wanting to try a purple but are intimidated by them, I'd say start here.

Orchid Infinity (450) is a medium purple. It's pulling more berry in the photo than in person.

Ripped Raisin (460) is a sheer mauve with a high shine.

Moon Rock (470) is a chrome topper. SO unique! It has a blue/purple duochrome to it. It reminds me of Makeup Geek's Insomnia pigment.

Nova Noir (480) is a metallic purple.

Woo! Are you still with me?! Kudos if you are! All 30 shades of the Pure Color Love collection. If you are looking for full pigment, go with the mattes. Throw-on-and-go shades, the cremes. And for the fun, those chromes!

I'm a matte girl, all day. So those are definitely my favorite but I've enjoyed every shade so far. There isn't one I dislike!! The ones that don't go well with my skin-tone will be added to my makeup kit! The shade selection is on point and very thorough, I don't think there is any shade lacking here and the packaging is perfection. My only complaint is the shape of the lipstick!